Island structure



y 1932- c. BRADSHAW ET AL 1,356,312

ISLAND STRUCTURE Filed May 20, 1930 3 Sheets*Sheet l May 3, 1932. c. BRADSHAW ET AL I SLAND S TRUCTUR E Filed May 20, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1932- c. BRADSHAW ET AL 1,356,312

I SLAND STRUCTURE Filed May 20, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 3, ,1932

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE onmns nmmw AND mason TAYLOR, or Los mamas, cunronm rsnmn s'raucrunr.

Application fled lay 20, 1980. Serial No. 458,831.

This invention relates to island structures, and more particularly to island structures for use on hodies of water where it is desired to drill wells for therecovery of gas, oil, or

i lilac mineral deposits, or of water.

in the drilling of wells, particularly oil wells, large sums of money have been ex pended in the construction of piers and the lilre "from the shore to support dcrriclrs and W other equipment employed in the drllllng of such wells. Uil is now being recovered at considerable expense in locations situated in the ocean quite distant from the shore, necessitating the construction and maintenance of en'oensive piers which must be a construction sufiicient to support several hundred tons at the location of the derrick when handling casings and the like.

It is an ob iect of this invention to provide at a simple and inexpensive form of structure for supporting the drilling equipment and derriclzs on bodies of water which is comparatively inexpensive to construct and maintain.

Another ob 'ject of this invention 1 to prode an island construction whichis particulurly applicable for use in supporting oil well derriclrs and equipment on bodles of water, and which is so constructed that a plurality of such-island constructions may be located at spaced points over a body of water and joined together by a bridge structure or the like.

v Another object of this invention is to provide an island structure including a seal tor-med of concrete or like material which may be constructed on shore and floated into position and submerged in position, and which includes a structure applicable for supporting and drilling of wells over bodies oi water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a foundation structure of reinforced 1;; concrete through which an oil well can be drilled into the ocean bottom, and for supporting the drilling equipment and derrick,

l and which foundation structure provides a means for storage of oil produced and a 50 means for supporting a suspension bridge or into position and submerged. The shells 1 other means for connectio the foundation with the shore or other similar structures.

Another object of this invention is to provide a structure of reinforced concrete which, may be constructed on the shore, floated into 65 position, and scuttled in a depth so that it rests on the ocean bottom and extends above the tide line to form a foundation for oil well drilling operations, and a means forprotect ing the well as drilled.

Another object of this invention is to provide a structure of reinforced concrete through which an oil well can be drilled in the ocean bottom and which may be refloated and removed when the well is abandoned.

Other objects and'advantages of this invention it is believed will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a construction embodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the island structure embodied in our invention taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional end elevation there; of taken substantially on the line 4.-4= of Fig. 2. i

In the preferred embodiment of our invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates an outer cylindrical shell formed preferably of concrete with a bottom 3 formed ofa concrete slab to form a hollow body including sidewalls 2 and bottom 3 which maybe floated to the position desired and submerged by admitting water so as to .rest on the bottom of the sea or other body of water with the wall of the vessel extending 0 above the water surface to form an island.

After-sinking, the shell will be filled with sand and gravel to form the mass of the island and to give it stabilizing weight. These island structures will also he designed so that the sand and gravel filling may be removed, the structure refloated and removed for similar use to another site.

A plurality of such shells 1 may be floated thereby form islands which are connected 7 and are provided with concrete bottoms 3 which are designed so as to provide suflicient collapsingstrength to support the shell 1 as it is floated into position to be submerged.

The shell 1 may be provided with an in-;

ner concentric cylindrical shell 2a built upon and monolithic with the floor 3 to stiffen the structure and to support the working floors of the island. The two shells may be cross connected with any desired form of reinforcing girders, beams and struts 30 or with diaphragm walls, either vertical or horizontal 31 to reinforce and stiffen the structure and to be supports for working floors.

Positioned upon the beams 7 and 8 is a floor 9 which ma be of concrete, timber or any other suitab e or desirable material and the floor 9 is located in the shell 1 preferably at the mean tide line 11 and below the upper edge of the shell 1.

The supports 30 and beams 7 and-8 provide a support for the floor 9 and derrick which" is mounted upon the floor line at a position offset from the center of the shell 1 and on or below the plane of the bridges 4 which connect the different shells 1 and 2. The derrick 10 may be of any suitable or desirable construction, such as is commonly employed for use in drilling wells. A permanent water-tight tube 17 of steel or concrete will be built into the island structure through which drilling operations can be prosecuted. This tube will be built and sealed into the bottom of the structure and will extend up to the level of the drilling floor 9 and will be open to the sea at the bottom and will allow drilling into the sea bottom without perforating the bottom of the island structure or admitting the sea water to the body of the island structure.

The floor of the derrick is formed by the floor 9 formed within the shell 1 and upon the floor 9 is situated the drilling equipment including the rotary machine 12, the drawworks 13; prime movers or engines 14 for driving the drawworks and rotary table 12. Where steam is employed for the prime mover 14, steam boilers 15 are also mounted.

' ed upon the mean tide line floor 9 for sup- 1 on the to portin the the we 1.

In addition, the above described derrick I and drilling equipment 'may all be mounted floor of the structure instead of on the ti e line floor 9. v

After the derrick and required rota equipment have been set up on the main ti e line floor 9, or on the top floor, drilling operation can be begun through the tube 17 and a protection'conductor casing 18 set inside of the'tube 17 in the usual manner in drilling in the ocean bottom.

The. tube 17 will join the bottom 3 of the structure with a cellar chamber 19 under the drilling floor 9. The cellar chamber 19 is similar to, and is employed for, substantially the same purposes as the cellar. commonly formed in the drilling of oil wells below the derrick floor.

The drill stem 20 is then operated through the protecting casing 18 and is rotated-and lowered as the hole is formed. a

When a plurality of such islands 1 are connected together as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, a roadway 22 is formed connecting the spaced islands with the shore pier 23. The roadway 22 extends practicall centrally of the spaced islands and above t e well equipment, permitting unrestricted passage over the roadway 22 from the difierent spaced islands thus formed. The roadway 22 is utilized for conveying to the spaced islands the eqlfipment required for the drilling of the we s.

Having fully described our invention, it is to be understood that we do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, and it will be obvious that our invention may utilized for purposes other than that herein specified and our invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An island construction of reinforced concrete providing a foundation for drilling oil wells in the ocean, including ashell of concrete adapted to be floated into position and scuttled to rest upon the ocean bottom, the shell having side walls extending above the tide line, and the bottom havinga hole from which a tube formed integral with the shell extends upwardly and through which tube the oil well is drilled.

2. An island construction of reinforced concrete providing a foundation for drilling oil wells in the ocean, including a concrete shell adapted to be floated into position and scuttled to rest upon the ocean bottom, the shell having side walls extending above the tide line, and the botom having a hole from which a tube is extended upwardly within the shell, and through which tube the oil well is drilled, and the shell being so formed as to permit its being refloated and moved from the well site.

be c

lit

till] ill 3. An island construction of reinforced concrete for foundations for drilling oil wells in the ocean, including a concrete shell adapted to be floated into position and scuttled to rest upon the ocean bottom, the shell having side walls extending above the tide line, and a bottom, the bottom having a hole formed therethrough, a tube extending from the hole upward within the shell through which the oil well is adapted to be drilled, and a floor formed in the shell above the bottom upon which drilling equipment may be located.

4. An island construction of reinforced concrete for foundations for drilling oil wells in the ocean, including a concrete shell adapted to be floated into position and scuttled to rest upon the ocean bottom, the shell having side walls extending above the tide line having a hole formed therethrough, a tube extending from the hole upwardly within the shell through which tube an oil well is adapted to be drilled, and the shell providing a chamber for the storage of oil produced from the well.

5. An island construction of reinforced concrete providing a foundation for drilling oil wells in the ocean, including a shell adapted to be floated into position and scuttled to rest upon the ocean bottom, the shell having side walls extending above the tide line, and a bottom, the bottom having a hole formed therethrough, a tube formed integral with the shell and extending from the hole upwardly within the shell through which tube the oil well is adapted to be drilled, and a floor formed integral within the shell between the bottom and the top of the side walls and through which floor the tube extends.

ti. An island construction of reinforced concrete providing a foundation for drilling oil wells in the ocean, including a shell adapted to be floated into position and scuttled to rest upon the ocean bottom. the shell having side walls extending above the tide line, and a bot tom, the bottom having a hole formed therethrough a tube extending upwardly from the hole within the shell through which tube the oil well is adapted to be drilled, a floor formed in the shell above the bottom. a cellar chamber formed below the floor. the upper end of the tube extending into the cellar, and the shell around the tube providing a chamber for the storage of oil produced.

7. An island construction of reinforced concrete providing a foundation for drilling oil wells in the ocean, including a shell adapted to be floated into position and scuttled to rest "upon the ocean bottom, the shell having side walls extending above the tide line, a bottom for the shell, the bottom having a hole formed therethrough in position offset from the center of the bottom, a tube formed integral with said bottom and extending upwardly within the shell from the hole, and through which tube the oil well is adapted to be drilled.

8. A unitary construction of reinforced concrete providing a foundation for drilling oil wells in the ocean including an outer cy--.

lindrical shell of reinforced concrete, a bottom cast integral therewith and having a hole therethrough, an inner cylindrical shell concentric with said outer shell and cast integral with said bottom, a tubular section spaced from said inner cylinder and cast integral with said bottom and in communication with: the hole through said bottom member, whereby the island structure is adapted to be float-i ed into position and scuttled to rest upon the; ocean bottom with the shell rising above the" tide line and the oil well drilled through said tube.

14th day of May, 1930.

CHARLES BRADSHAW. NELSON TAYLOR.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 

